Methods of dyeing fabric with a hydrocarbon subsequently burned

ABSTRACT

Dyeing or otherwise chemically finishing a textile fabric by applying to the fabric a mixture of the finishing chemical and at least one organic solvent which is vaporised following its application to the fabric and burned. The solvent is one which, upon oxidation, is converted to carbon dioxide and water.

United States Patent [191 Schuierer Se t. 9 1975 METHODS OF DYEING FABRIC WITH A [56] References Cited HYDROCARBON SUBSEQUENTLY BURNED UNITED STATES PATENTS [75] Inventor: Manfred Schuierer, Erbach, 2,828,l80 3/ 1958 Sertorio 8/62 Odenwald Germany Furness X 3,749,600 7/1973 Bergman et al 8/173 x [73] Ass1gnee: Bruckner Appar eb Gm H, 3,809,536 5/1974 Sievenpiper et a]. 8/173 Erbach, Odenwald, Germany {22] Filed Feb 21 1973 Primary ExaminerSamuel Feinberg Assistant Examiner-P. A. Nelson [21] Appl. No.: 334,310 Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Leannan & McCulloch [30] Foreign Application Priority Data h s l tl h l f b yemg or 0t erwise c emica 1y inis ing a texti e a Feb. 21, 1972 Germany 2208052 do y pp y g to the fabric a mixture of the finishing Cl. n 8 3; 8 4; 8 chemical and at least one organic solvent which is [52] U S H7 57 4 vaporised following its application to the fabric and [5]] Int Cl 2 5/04 burned. The solvent is one which, upon oxidation, is [581 mid o; 33;];1111?""1111'7"37175176 174 94 o carbon dioxide and 10 Claims, No Drawings METHODS OF DYEING FABRIC WITH A HYDROCARBON SUBSEQUENTLY BURNED This invention relates to a method for applying dyestuffs or other finishing chemicals to textile fabric, using a liquid which contains at least one organic solvent which is removed from the fabric by vaporisation. While in earlier times dyestuffs or other finishing chemicals were applied to textile fabrics in aqueous solution only, there has recently been an increasing tendency to use organic solvents for this purpose. Apart from various other advantages, organic solvents have the feature of excellent penetration properties, which enable the dyestuff (or other finishing chemical) to be uniformly applied with a relatively small amount of solvent. A reduction of the amount of solvent is desirable because of the consequent reduction of the scale of drying (for subsequent vaporisation of the solvent), the lesser size of the plant, the shortening of the drying period and above all because of the reduced risk of migration (the tendency of the dyestuff to move in the textile fabric).

However the use of organic solvents also involves certain difficulties. In view of their relatively high price, the evaporated solvents are normally recovered. Apart from the considerable cost involved in this operation, the necessity for recovery also considerably limits the type of organic solvent that can be used. This again means that special dyestuffs have to be developed for the recoverable organic solvents concerned. A further disadvantage is that the recovery plant must in each case be adapted to the solvent used, so that dyeing plants cannot necessarily be operated with different solvents.

The invention is therefore based on the problem of providing a method of the type initially mentioned which avoids these defects and wherein the difficulties associated with the recovery of organic solvents are overcome, the use of standard dyestuffs is largely possible, and existing plants can be converted without difficulty to different dyes and solvents.

According to the invention this problem is solved in that the organic solvents used comprise only materials which can be converted by oxidation into carbon dioxide and water, and in that the organic solvents when vaporised again after application are catalytically burned, either immediately or after prior enrichment.

Since with organic solvents a uniform dyeing can be achieved even when using a very small amount of solvent, it is economically reasonable to burn catalytically the organic solvents when vaporised again after being applied. If only materials which can be converted by oxidation into carbon dioxide and water are chosen for the organic solvents, these ecologically acceptable products can be discharged without difficulty into the environment.

The renunciation in accordance with the invention of the recovery of vaporised organic solvents opens up considerable possibilities. On dropping the limitative condition of capacity for recovery, there now exists a disproportionately greater freedom '11 the choice of organic solvent, solvent mixtures, or mixtures of solvents and water which can be used. In particular the last alternative permits use of many of the already existing dyestuffs, based on aqueous ,solvents, already developed by the chemical industry.

A further advantage is that with the method according to the invention the devices for catalytically burning the vaporised solvent need no particular adaptation to the solvent or solvent mixture used. Dyeing plants operating according to the method can therefore be converted without difficulty to different dyestuffs and solvents.

Organic solvents which fulfil the above conditions include in particular aliphatic and cyclic hydrocarbons, alcohols, esters, ethers, ketones, aldehydes and lowmolecular weight organic acids.

A maximum of 50% by volume of solvent (i.e., a maximum of 500ml of solvent per 1000g of fabric) is preferably used with the method provided by the invention and the dyestuff or other finishing chemical is applied in 20 40% of the volume of solvent. If, however, a mixture of at least the organic solvent with water is used for applying the dyestuff or other finishing chemical, it is economically feasible to use more than 50% by volume of solvent.

What is claimed is:

l. A method of applying to a textile fabric a finishing chemical such as dyestuffs, said method comprising applying to said fabric a liquid mixture containing said chemical and organic solvent in a maximum amount of 500 ml solvent per 1000 g of fabric, said solvent being capable of removal from said fabric by vaporisation and constituting only one that can be converted by oxidation into carbon dioxide and water; vaporising said solvent following application thereof to said fabric; and burning said vaporised solvent.

2. A method of applying to a textile fabric a finished chemical such as dyestuffs, said method comprising applying to said fabric a liquid mixture containing said chemical and organic solvent, said solvent being capable of removal from said fabric by vaporisation, said solvent constituting only one that can be converted by oxidation into carbon dioxide and water; vaporising said solvent following application thereof to said fabric; and burning the vaporised solvent in the presence of a catalyst.

3. A method according to claim 2 wherein said vaporised solvent is enriched.

4. A method according to claim 3 wherein said vaporised solvent is enriched by condensation or absorption thereof.

5. A method according to claim 2 wherein a maximum of 50% by volume of solvent is used.

6. A method according to claim 2 wherein said mixture includes a plurality of said organic solvents.

7. A method according to claim 2 wherein said mixture comprises said organic solvent and water in an amount of more than 50% by volume.

8. A method according to claim 2 wherein said solvent is selected from the class comprising hydrocarbons, alcohols, esters, ethers, ketones, aldehydes and low molecular weight organic acids.

9. A method according to claim 2 wherein said finishing chemical is applied in 20 40% by volume of solvent. v

10. A method according to claim 2 including oxidizing the vaporized solvent and drying the fabric by means of oxidation. 

1. A method of applying to a textile fabric a finishing chemical such as dyestuffs, said method comprising applying to said fabric a liquid mixture containing said chemical and organic solvent in a maximum amount of 500 ml solvent per 1000 g of fabric, said solvent being capable of removal from said fabric by vaporisation and constituting only one that can be converted by oxidation into carbon dioxide and water; vaporising said solvent following application thereof to said fabric; and burning said vaporised solvent.
 2. A METHOD OF APPLYING TO A TEXTILE FABRIC A FINISHED CHEMCAL SUCH AS DYESTUFFS, SAID METHOD COMPRISING APPLYING TO SAID FABRIC A LIQUID MIXTURE CONTAINING SAID CHEMICAL AND ORGANIC SOLVENT, SAID SOLVENT BEING CAPABLE OF REMOVAL FROM SAID FABRIC BY VAPORISATION, SAID SOLVENT CONSTITUTING ONLY ONE THAT CAN BE CONVERTED BY OXIDATION INTO CARBON DIOXIDE AND WATER, VAPORISING SAID SOLVENT FOLLOWING APPLICATION THEREOF TO SAID FABRIC, AND BURNING THE VAPORISED SOLVENT IN THE PRESENCE OF A CATALYST.
 3. A method according to claim 2 wherein said vaporised solvent is enriched.
 4. A method according to claim 3 wherein said vaporised solvent is enriched by condensation or absorption thereof.
 5. A method according to claim 2 wherein a maximum of 50% by volume of solvent is used.
 6. A method according to claim 2 wherein said mixture includes a plurality of said organic solvents.
 7. A method according to claim 2 wherein said mixture comprises said organic solvent and water in an amount of more than 50% by volume.
 8. A method according to claim 2 wherein said solvent is selected from the class comprising hydrocarbons, alcohols, esters, ethers, ketones, aldehydes and low molecular weight organic acids.
 9. A method according to claim 2 wherein said finishing chemical is applied in 20 - 40% by volume of solvent.
 10. A method according to claim 2 including oxidizing the vaporized solvent and drying the fabric by means of oxidation. 